The present patent application relates to an instrument for the implant of a surgical plate for osteosynthesis.
More precisely, the instrument according to the present invention is used to place and maintain the surgical plate in stable position during the operation, in order to prevent the plate from falling on the soft tissues.
Osteosynthesis systems, that is surgical plates, are frequently used in maxillo-facial traumatology and orthopaedic surgery of maxillary bones, since they guarantee the perfect stability of stumps or fractured bone fragments
Today, plates with surgical screws are one of the best containment methods available, capable of ensuring the stability of bone fragments, which is an essential condition for the formation of callus.
In fact, during the preparation of the surgical holes, it is necessary to place the surgical plate in a very accurate way and maintain it stable in the correct position.
No specific surgical instruments are available at the moment for this particular application. For this reason, it is a common practice to use tools that are designed for different purposes and are not very suitable for this application, such as, for example, the surgical-anatomical forceps known as Klemmer forceps, which cannot guarantee satisfactory results in all cases.
On the contrary, the surgical instrument according to the present invention, has the following advantages:
accurate, stable positioning of the plate during operation;
good visibility in the operating field;
ergonomics of the surgical operation.
Substantially, the instrument comprises a rod inserted and sliding inside a cylindrical guide sleeve, from whose front end a small section of the point protrudes, being constantly subject to the action of a return spring that opposes free ejection.
The rear end of the rod protrudes from the other end of the cylindrical sleeve and is provided with a ring in which the operator can insert his thumb to push the rod forward, thus overcoming the resistance of the return spring.
In order to make this operation easier, the sleeve is externally provided with an annular flange, which is hooked between the middle and index fingers until the thumb inserted in the ring is pressed forward.
The point of the rod that protrudes from the sleeve has a calibrated lateral cut, while the front end of the cylindrical sleeve is provided with a small tooth in opposite position with respect to the cut, whose opening is closed by the small tooth.
By pressing and moving the rod forward, the opening of the lateral cut located on the point can be freed by the operator, who can then fix the surgical plate inside the cut, thus engaging it under the small tooth, as soon as the rod is left free to return inside the sleeve because of the action of the return spring.